


Feelings

by Center_of_the_Galaxy



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Haruno Sakura is So Done, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Longing, Mutual Pining, Sakura knows what she wants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:40:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Center_of_the_Galaxy/pseuds/Center_of_the_Galaxy
Summary: Kakashi Hatake knew much about war. Love, on the other hand, was completely foreign to him.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 66
Collections: Naruto/Boruto Secret Santa 2020





	Feelings

Kakashi Hatake knew much about war.

He knew how to kill an enemy in about 100 different ways. He knew how to sneak into enemy territory undetected, how to manage his chakra effectively, how to perform even the most difficult jutsus under the highest stakes. He had grown up in war, lost many close friends in war and had so much blood that stained his hands, he sometimes wondered if they would ever be clean.

Now, though, the war was over.

Peace had returned to the Hidden Leaf and while there were funerals to attend and rebuilding to deal with, the threat of imminent demise had passed. He was Hokage now, a position he felt completely unqualified for and one that he didn’t really even want. Still, the village needed a strong hand to guide it as it transitioned out of war.

“Sensei!”

“Ah, Sakura-chan,” Kakashi greeted his pink-haired pupil—though, he wasn’t even really sure if he could be called her teacher anymore. The young woman had learned all he had to teach her and honestly surpassed him.

“Sensei,” She frowned, “Tsunade is calling for you. Something about leaving her a mountain of paperwork?”

Kakashi frowned, wishing once again that he could just vanish into the shadows and avoid all these tedious responsibilities. He shot her a quick grin, “Surely you could just tell her that you didn’t see me?”

“Kakashi-sensei,” Her eyes lit up with fury, her hands on her hips and the older warrior had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. The young woman continued, “You need to take this seriously! You’re the Hokage now. You can’t just slack off.”

Kakashi sighed, “Sakura-chan, surely, just this once, you could cover for your teacher?”

Her cheeks flushed and she stammered, “I g-guess.”

He ruffled her hair, much like he did when she had been a child and he felt nostalgia wash over him. She wasn’t a child anymore. She didn’t need to be coddled or protected like she used to. Sakura had seen the horrors of war firsthand, she had lost friends to it and came close to dying herself a few times. Still, she had overcome it all and proved herself not only to be a capable warrior but a medic as well.

She’d grown up and Kakashi felt a profound sadness well in his chest.

He was losing her.

It was natural, of course, for a student to outgrow a teacher and he was proud of her, yes, but something about Sakura was special. She had buried herself into his heart in a way no other pupil had. She had gotten through his emotional walls and understood him better than his colleagues.

“Sakura!” He could see Ino coming up, a smirk on the young woman’s lips and he took that as his cue to leave.

“Wait, Sensei!”

But Kakashi had already vanished, back into the shadows from whence he came.

* * *

He really shouldn’t have under estimated Tsunade.

The woman was determined and he only managed to escape her wrath for a half an hour before he was dragged into her office and placed before a mountain of paperwork.

“You are the Hokage!” She shouted, voice high and shrill, “Do your job!”

She left him then under lock and key, high ranking shinobi keeping an eye on him. He frowned, trying to figure out how to get out of doing this—surely, there were more qualified people that could do this in a more efficient manner.

“So, she caught you?”

Sakura stood in the doorway, a smirk playing on her peach lips.

“It would seem so.”

She stepped into the room, her eyes gazing over the paperwork and she chuckled, “You should just get it over with.”

He leaned back in the chair, sighing dramatically, “You would sentence your teacher to such a fate?”

“You taught us that a shinobi always fulfills missions to the best of their ability.”

“Cruel, Sakura-chan,” He teased softly, “To use my own words against me.”

He glanced at the stack of papers before him, wondering if using a smoke bomb to escape out the window would be viewed as heroic or just pathetic, when she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Sensei, should I help you?”

She was close to him, her pink hair nearly brushing the top of his head as she leaned down to the inspect the papers. He was well aware of how she had blossomed into a woman—he’d seen countless of the young men look her over, their eyes lingering on her figure, noticing her curves and her beauty. She was a confident, young woman, who would, doubtless, have the attention of every eligible suitor in the village. Finally, she could enjoy her youth and date and have fun.

Even if the thought of her with another guy made him feel jealous.

Kakashi shook his head. Jealous? Him? No, he wanted Sakura to be happy—just like he did all his students—and he wouldn’t hinder any efforts for her to do that. He also would stop assigning extra work to any guy that flirted with her.

Starting next week.

Probably.

“Sensei?”

He snapped himself out of his reverie and focused back, meeting her vibrant eyes. She placed a soft hand against his forehead, muttering, “You seem spaced out. Are you sick?”

“I’m fine.”

“Sensei,” She chided, “You can’t fool me.”

It wasn’t her that he was fooling. No, it was himself. For as much as he wanted to deny it—as much as he knew that he was too old for her, too damaged for her—he wanted her. She was his and that’s why the thought of someone else taking her away cut him so.

He wanted her as his own. He wanted to take her on dates, to make her laugh, to see her cheeks flush. He wanted to the be the guy that she would adore.

“Sakura,” He said softly, “I’m fine.”

But he couldn’t be that guy.

“But—”

He forced a smile onto his lips, “I have paperwork to do.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.” She waved awkwardly and left him in the office. He grabbed a piece of paper and began to fill it out, trying to distract his mind.

“That was pathetic.”

“Come to mock me, Tsunade?”

The former Hokage shrugged, “You make it so easy.” Her heels clicked on the floor as she took a seat across from him. She crossed her arms over her chest, “So, Sakura, huh?”

“It’s not what you think—”

“You mean you weren’t flirting terribly with her just now?”

He glowered, “Tsunade—”

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, “What’s the problem? She’s 18, Kakashi, not a little child anymore. She’s grown into an amazingly powerful warrior with looks to match.” She beamed, “Hell, I’m surprised half the village hasn’t already tried to propose to her.”

“I’m no good for her.”

“Why? Because you’re old?”

“Because I’m damaged!”

She shrugged, “We’re all damaged, Kakashi.” She rose from the chair, her lips set in a firm line, “Do what you want. But don’t expect others to give you the time you need to get your head out of your ass.”

Kakashi really just wanted the paperwork to go ahead and swallow him whole.

* * *

With his horrible luck, Sakura found him a few days later.

She was dressed casually today, in a pale purple dress, her hair pinned up into a tight bun, jewelry adding some sparkle. She was gorgeous and Kakashi felt himself grow angrier with every lewd glance he caught coming her way.

“Sensei, are you feeling better?”

“Yes,” He lied, trying not to focus on her beauty, on the longing he felt.

“Good, because there’s something I’d like to talk with you about, if you have time?”

He should say no. He should put distance between them so that he wasn’t tempted to want something he couldn’t have. But he found himself nodding and following her to a nearby restaurant.

“Sensei, you see, there’s someone that I like.”

Kakashi’s heart started to crack.

“Ah, really? Perhaps Tsunade would be—”

“No,” Sakura interjected, “I need to ask your advice. You see, I feel like I’ve hinted how I feel quite well, but every time I’ve come close, he flees.”

“Flees?”

“Like he’s scared of me,” Sakura clarified, “But I’ve seen him look at me. He cares. I know he does.”

Kakashi took a sip of his tea, letting his chaotic mind settle, “Have you told him directly?”

“No.”

“Then, how do you know that he understands how you feel?”

She smiled, bright and beautiful, “I thought he was quite smart. He is the Hokage after all.”

“The Hokage should be able to . . .” His mind processed what she said a second later and he spluttered on his tea, “Sakura—?”

“Kakashi,” She dropped his honorific, her expression growing serious, “I would like to date you.”

His mind spun, “I’m old.”

“Yes, I’m aware of the age gap.”

“Others will judge!”

“I don’t care about them,” She reached out and took his hand within her own, “Only you.” She grinned, “This is what I want. What about you?”

He glanced down at their intertwined fingers, feeling a comforting warmth bloom in his chest.

“Me too,” He whispered.

She nodded, “That settles it then.”

And she leaned across the table and kissed him.


End file.
